The scientific study of how people think about, influence, and relate to one another.
Attribution Theory
The theory that we tend to explain the behavior of others as an aspect of either an internal disposition (an inner trait) or the situation.
-Situational Attribution- Attributing someone’s actions to the various factors in the situation
-Dispositional Attribution- Attributing someone’s actions to the person’s disposition (their thoughts, feelings, personality characteristics, etc).
-Fundamental Attribution Error- The tendency to attribute the behavior of others to internal disposition rather than to situations. People tend to blame or credit the person more than the situation
-Self-Serving Bias -A readiness to perceive oneself favorably.
Attitudes and Actions -Attitude- The belief and feeling that predisposes someone to respond in a particular way to objects, people, and events.
Attitudes Affecting Actions
-Many studies suggest a person’s attitudes do not match their actions -Attitudes can predict behavior if:
--Outside influences are minimal
--People are aware of their attitudes
--Attitude is relevant to behavior
Actions Affecting Attitudes
One’s actions within an environment can influence their attitudes. They include:
-Foot-in-the-Door Phenomenon
--The tendency for people who have first agreed to a small request to comply later with a larger request.
-Role Playing
--Role: A set of expectations in a social setting that define how one ought to behave.
--Playing a role can influence or change one’s attitude --For Evil: Zimbardo’s Prison Study “The power of an a role in an environment” Milgrim’s Experiment “The power of authority figures” -Milgrim’s Experiment “The power of authority figures”
Deindividuation
-The loss of self-awareness and self-restraint occurring in group situations that foster arousal and anonymity.
-People lose their sense of responsibility when in a group.
Conformity
-Adjusting one’s behavior or thinking to coincide with a group standard.
-Solomon Asch (1907-1996)
--Social psychologist who researched the circumstances under which people conform.
Factors Increasing Conformity
-The person feels incompetent or insecure.
-The group has three or more people.
-The rest of the group is unanimous.
-The person is impressed by the status of the group.
-No prior commitments were made.
-The group is observing the person respond.
-One’s culture encourages conformity.
Groupthink
The mode of thinking that occurs when the desire for harmony in a decision- making group overrides a realistic appraisal of the alternatives.
Cognitive Dissonance Theory
-The theory that we act to reduce the discomfort (dissonance) we feel when two of our thoughts (cognitions) are inconsistent.
--When our attitudes are inconsistent with our actions, we change our attitudes to reduce the dissonance.
Self-Fulfilling Prophecies
-When we believe something to be true about others (or ourselves) and we act in ways that cause this belief to come true.
Group Polarization
-Enhancement of a group’s already existing attitudes through discussion within the group.
The scientific study of how people think about, influence, and relate to one another.
Attribution Theory
The theory that we tend to explain the behavior of others as an aspect of either an internal disposition (an inner trait) or the situation.
-Situational Attribution- Attributing someone’s actions to the various factors in the situation
-Dispositional Attribution- Attributing someone’s actions to the person’s disposition (their thoughts, feelings, personality characteristics, etc).
-Fundamental Attribution Error- The tendency to attribute the behavior of others to internal disposition rather than to situations. People tend to blame or credit the person more than the situation
-Self-Serving Bias -A readiness to perceive oneself favorably.
Attitudes and Actions
-Attitude- The belief and feeling that predisposes someone to respond in a particular way to objects, people, and events.
Attitudes Affecting Actions
-Many studies suggest a person’s attitudes do not match their actions
-Attitudes can predict behavior if:
--Outside influences are minimal
--People are aware of their attitudes
--Attitude is relevant to behavior
Actions Affecting Attitudes
One’s actions within an environment can influence their attitudes.
They include:
-Foot-in-the-Door Phenomenon
--The tendency for people who have first agreed to a small request to comply later with a larger request.
-Role Playing
--Role: A set of expectations in a social setting that define how one ought to behave.
--Playing a role can influence or change one’s attitude
--For Evil: Zimbardo’s Prison Study “The power of an a role in an environment” Milgrim’s Experiment “The power of authority figures”
-Milgrim’s Experiment “The power of authority figures”
Deindividuation
-The loss of self-awareness and self-restraint occurring in group situations that foster arousal and anonymity.
-People lose their sense of responsibility when in a group.
Conformity
-Adjusting one’s behavior or thinking to coincide with a group standard.
-Solomon Asch (1907-1996)
--Social psychologist who researched the circumstances under which people conform.
Factors Increasing Conformity
-The person feels incompetent or insecure.
-The group has three or more people.
-The rest of the group is unanimous.
-The person is impressed by the status of the group.
-No prior commitments were made.
-The group is observing the person respond.
-One’s culture encourages conformity.
Groupthink
The mode of thinking that occurs when the desire for harmony in a decision- making group overrides a realistic appraisal of the alternatives.
Cognitive Dissonance Theory
-The theory that we act to reduce the discomfort (dissonance) we feel when two of our thoughts (cognitions) are inconsistent.
--When our attitudes are inconsistent with our actions, we change our attitudes to reduce the dissonance.
Self-Fulfilling Prophecies
-When we believe something to be true about others (or ourselves) and we act in ways that cause this belief to come true.
Group Polarization
-Enhancement of a group’s already existing attitudes through discussion within the group.
But lets backup to the power of role playing again…
If we know the power of role playing and social influences we can use them for good
Amy Cuddy “fake it till you become it” http://www.ted.com/talks/amy_cuddy_your_body_language_shapes_who_you_are.html